Audion construction



Jan. 3, 1933.

R. F. GOWEN AUDION CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 17, 919

Patented Jan. 3, 1933 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT FTGOWEN, OF NEWYORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB TO DE FOREST RADIO TELEPHONE it TELEGRAPH COMPANY,OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE AUDION CONSTRUCTIONApplication filed January 17, 1919. Serial No. 271,556.

This invention relates to audion constructions.

The object of this invention is to provide an evacuated vessel for usein wire or wireless communication, or for any purpose to wh ch a deviceof this nature may e apphed,wh1ch is simple in construction, economicalto manufacture, and eliicient in operation.

A further object of the invention is to rovide a device of the characterset forth w ich is compact, sturdy, and is not liable to derangementdueto vibration, shock, or the like.

Further objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination,location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fullyhereinafter set forth as shown by the accompanying drawing and finallypointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of an audion construction embodyingmy invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the electrode support.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3, 3, Fig. 1, looking inthe direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the insulatin and supporting structureemployed in accor ance with my invention.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the grid structure embodyingmy invention.

35 1g. 6 is a sectional View taken on the line 6, 6, Fig. 5, looking inthe direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a view partially in section, partially in sideelevation of amodified electrode supporting structure embodying by inventron.

, Fig. 8 is a view in elevation of a modified construction.

The same part is designated by the same reference character wherever thesame occurs throughout the several views.

It is among the special purposes of my present invention to provide arugged structure of evacuated vessel having electrodes therein, andparticularly of the audion type,;

such as is used in radio or wire communications, and which are known bvarious names, the most common of which. eing audion, amplifier,ultraaudion and oscillion.

. Great dificulty has been heretofore encountered in devices of thisnature due to the fact that to secure and procure sensitiveness andefficiency of the device ithas been necessary to have an exceedinglyfragile and delicats instrument. Also, due to the fact that generallythree or more electrodes are employed, which electrodes are ofthemselves of a fragile nature and which have necessarily been ocatedwithin a relatively small distance from each other, due to vibration orshock the electrodes have been subject to vibratin relative to eachother, coming in contact wlth each other or becoming broken due to thevibration of their supporting means which has generally been a singlesupport, that is, each of the more fragile electrodes has had but a.single support at one of its ends allowin the entire body thereof tovibrate freely and be subject to breakage, derangement, or othertrouble.

In accordance with my invention 1 provide means for permanently holdingthe electrodes relative to each other after the most efficient positionthereof has been secured, and forming a rigid support for both ends ofall electrodes whereby any vibration, shock or the like instead ofcausing each electrode to move relatively to the other causes them allto move in unison thereby securing a neat, compact, rugged device, wellsuited for the work to which it is to be put. In the copendingapplication of myself and James L. Bradford, Serial No. 226,537, filedApril 3, 1918, we show and describe in detail an audion construction towhich form thereof I have applied my present invention, but I wish it tobe understood my invention is not to be limited or restricted to anyparticular type of construction.

Referring to the drawing: ll show a construction similar to that shownin the application above identified wherein the glass container isindicated at 1, the base 2, the plugs 3, connected to the respectiveelectrodes, which in the form shown, consist of the plate electrode 4,the grid electrode 5 carried by suitable supports 6 and the filamentelectrode 7 positioned between the supports 6 with the of one piece bentover to extend in a plane parallel to the plane of the wire suspendedbetweenthe support 6 and on opposite sides thereof, the structure thusfar described thereby constituting one having a filament with a grid onopposite sides thereof and a plate on each side of the grid. The glassbase 8 of the vessel 1 carries therein the supports 9 for supporting theplate 4, supports 10 for carrying the grid supporting members 6 andsupports 11 carrying the filament 7 in the usual well known manner. Thetop of the plate 4 is cut away for ventilating purposes, and, inaccordance with my invention, to form a space for the supports which Iwill now described.

It has heretofore been the custom to have no further supporting meansfor the filament electrodes 7 and the grid and grid supports, and itwill be seen that any jar, vibration or shock which the device receiveswill cause the grid supporting members 6 to vibrate, and in consequencewill cause the grid wire to vibrate, and the filament which is a thinwire to vibrate, and that it is not only possible plate 4 an insulatingblock 25 provided with holes into which the upper ends of the idsupporting member 6 project. The bloc is cut away to allow the straps 4of the, plates 4 to lie flush with the upper surface thereof as will bereadily understood by reference to Fig. 4. It is also cut away on thesides to allow the straps 4 to lie flush with the surface thereof. Itwill'be seen that the block thus far described forms a support for theupper end of the grid supporting members 6. In accordance with myinvention I provide a hole through the center of the block 25 andthrough this hole insert means for engaging and holding under springtension the free end of the filament. This may be accomplished in anysuitable or desired manner, for example, and referring particularly toFigs. 2, 3 and 4, a small hook may be inserted throu h the hole in theblock 25 to engage the rec end of the filament 7, the

engaging means being in the nature of one end of a spring formed into ahook, the one end of which is coiled on the outer or top surface of theblock 25 as indicated at Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and shown more clearly inFig. 4, with the free end thereof suitably anchored in a niche providedfor that purpose indicated at 27 in the top surface of the block 25,thereby maintaining a constant tensionon the filament 7. A modifiedconstruction is shown in Fig. 7 wherein a plunger tension on thefilament. In Fi 8 I show a still further modification wherem the sprinis in the nature of a s iral cone one end 0 which rests on the blockextends down through the center thereof and through the block andprovided with a hook 30 on its end as shown. To maintain the grid on oposite sides of the filament in a constant y arallel line, and referringparticularly to igs. 5 and 6, I form the standard 6 of semi-circularmaterial thereby securing pgrallel wires between the supports 6 as willreadily understood.

Many other changes and modifications will readily occur to those skilledin the art without departing from the spirit and scope of my lnventionas defined in the claims, and I therefore desire to have my fore oingdescription and drawing to be regar ed in an illustrative sense and notin a limiting sense. Having now set forth the objects and nature of myinvention and having shown and described a structure embodying theprinciples thereof, what I claim as new and useful and of my owninvention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combinationof a base, a plurality of electrode elements includin an electronemitting cathode, a control grid completely encircling said cathode, ananode having portions disposed on opposite sides of said cath-- ode, aplurality of metallic members supporting sald electrodes and separatelysealed into sald base, and an insulator spacer member secured to allsaid elements to form a rigid and unitary structure, said electrodes andinsulator element being supported entirely from said base.

2. The combination of. a base, an electron emittin cathode, an anodehaving portions disposed on opposite sides of said cathode, a. gridcompletely encircling said cathode, a plurality of metallic lead-inwires sealed difectly into said base and serving as the so e su and 1 aninsulator means attached to all 25 and the other end rting means forsaid cathode, anode thee ectrodes spacing them apart, said insuing todraw the hook towards said block, said hook being adapted to engage oneof said electrode elements.

4. A vacuum tube having a base, a filament supported by said base, aplate electrode supported by said base, a pair of posts positionedbetween said filament and plate and having a grid electrode woundhelically therearound, the lower ends of said posts being sealed intosaid base, a block of insulating material carried by said plate andhaving a pair of holes to receive the upper ends of said grid posts, andmeans for supporting the filament from said block.

5. An electron discharge device comprising a cathode, an anode, a grid,a press, said anode and grid having portions disposed on opposite sidesof said cathode, a support for said electrodes comprising a metallicframe arising from said press and terminating in a block of insulatingmaterial, and lead in wires tlgirough said press for saidanode and cathoe.

6. An evacuatedvessel containing an anode, a grid and a filament, saidgrid being intermediate the anode and the filament and comprising a pairof posts having a wire helically wound therearound, and a block ofinsulating material supported by the anode and serving as a support forthe grid and filament said block having openings to receive the upperends of said grid posts.

7. A vacuum tube comprising a press, anode, cathode and controlelectrodes said control electrode comprising a pair of spaced rods witha wire helically wound therearound, metallic means on said presssupporting the said anode, and means on said anode supporting said otherelectrodes the last mentioned means comprising an insulator memberhaving openings to receive the upper ends of said spaced rods.

8. A vacuum tube having a base, a filament supported by said base, aplate electrode supported by said base, a pair of posts positionedbetween said filament and plate and having a grid electrode woundhelically therearound the lower ends of said posts being sealed intosaid base, a block of insulating material carried by said plate andhaving a pair of holes to receivev the upper ends of said grid posts, ahook carried by said block to engage said filament, and means formaintaining said hook under tension to maintain said filament in a tautcondition.

9. An electron discharge device comprising a gas tight vessel containinga plurality of spaced electrodes, one of said electrodes being in theform of a helically wound wire completely encircling another of saidelectrodes, a support for said electrodes comprising an additionalelectrode partially enclosing said other electrodes and attached to thebase of said device and a. lead-in and electrode-supporting wire forsaid additional electrode sealed in the base of said device.

10. The combination with a base, of a plurality of electrode elementscomprising a plate, a cathode and a grid, each element having asupporting wire ,sealed into said base and supported at one end thereby,one of said electrodes being in the form of a helically wound wirecompletely encircling another of the electrodes and means including ablock of insulating material securing said elements together into arigid unitary structure, a hook carried by said block, means formaintaining a spring tension on said hook, said hook being adapted toengage one of said electrode elements.

11. A vacuum tube comprising a plate electrode, a grid electrodeincluding a pair of posts having a grid wire wound helicallytherearound, means supporting said posts at their lower ends from thebase of said tube, an insulating member mounted adjacent the upperendsof said plate and grid electrodes, the upper ends of said grid postsbeing seated in corresponding holes in said insulating member, and anelectron emitting cathode mounted to emit electrons to the interiorsurface of said plate.

12. A vacuum tube comprising a base portion, a plate electrode, afilament, a grid electrode including a pair of posts having a wirehelically wound therearound, means supporting said posts at their lowerends in the base of said tube, an insulating member mounted at the upperends of said plate and grid electrodes for preserving the spacing ofsaid electrodes, said grid posts having their upper ends seated incorresponding holes in said insulating member, and resilient meanscarried by said insulator member for maintaining said filament undertension.

In testimony whereof I- have hereunto set my hand on this 10th day ofJanuary A. D.,

ROBERT F. GOVVEN.

